Refrigerator cabinet

ABSTRACT

A cabinet for household refrigerators which may be an extension of or an accessory to the refrigerator, the cabinet being attached to the upper part of the refrigerator, which makes it too high for convenient access to the housewife when the cabinet is drawn forward out of the refrigerator, so access is provided by making the cabinet with an open bottom.

United States Patent [1 1 Ellis [111 3,734,588 51 May 22,1973

1541 REFRIGERATOR CABINET [76] Inventor: Robert P. Ellis, 350 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach, Calif. 92075 22 Filed: A r.20, 1972 [21] Appl.N0.: 246,070

2,444,887 7/1948 Wyeth ..312/198 3,278,247 10/1966 Tisdell l ..312/209 1,854,756 4/1932 Muller ..312/272 3,547,507 12/1970 Teague ..3l2/246 2,592,760 4/1952 Sutera ..312/247 1,215,261 2/1917 Dyke ..312/198X 764,777 7/1904 Slater ..3l2/250 X Primary Examiner-Paul H. Gilliam [52] US. Cl. ..3l2/247, 312/198, 312/246,

312/250 57 ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl ..A47b 67/02, A47f 5/08, A47b 53/00 [58] Field of Search ..312/198 246 247 A cabme hwsehdd remge'am may be extension of of an accessory to the refrigerator, the cabinet being attached to the upper part of the refrigerator, which makes it too high for convenient [56] References Cited access to the housewife when the cabinet is drawn for- UNITED STATES PATENTS ward out of the refrigerator, so access is provided by 2 388 746 11/1945 K 312mm x making the cabinet with an open bottom.

napp 2,414,588 1/1947 Elliot ..312/198 X 4 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures REFRIGERATOR CABINET This invention relates to refrigerator cabinets, particularly to the household type. Most kitchens never have sufficient room to store all the accumulating kitchen ware and it is the purpose of this invention to utilize the unsightly space over the top of the refrigerator to store many cumbersome items such as frying pans, pancake turners and similar long handled items as illustrated; as well as dishes secured by shelving, etc.

Means are also provided to utilize the cabinet for storing refrigerating supplies by admitting cold air thereto from the refrigerator.

The cabinet may be drawn forward easily by means of a sliding arrangement and then even downwardly for still better access by a lazy tong mechanism.

And another feature of the invention is that the cabinet may be separate from the refrigerator and easily and quickly attached to the top of any refrigerator not initially equipped with this cabinet.

Other and further objects will appear in the specifications and be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings exemplifying the invention, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a conventional household refrigerator.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the refrigerator.

FIG. 3 is a side view, partly in section, showing the cabinet open.

FIG. 4 is a top view of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a similar view of FIG. 3 but showing access to the cabinet to a taller person.

FIG. 6 is a similar view to FIG. 3 showing how a boxlike compartment may be lowered sufficiently to permit access to the box looking over the edges.

FIG. 7 is an isometric view showing how a separate made cabinet may be attached to the top surface of the refrigerator and used similarly.

FIG. 8 shows a detail of a valve which permits cold air from the refrigerator to enter the cabinet.

Referring to the drawings in which like numerals and characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views, the numeral 33 denotes a conventional type of household refrigerator the upper part 9 thereof comprising my added cabinet which consists of a box-like structure preferably of the same horizontal dimensions as the refrigerator so as to fit snugly thereon. The front of the cabinet 9 is open so as to receive an inwardly slidable drawer 10, this drawer having a front face 11 similar in appearance to the doors of the refrigerator 33 so as to appear as a part of the refrigerator and having an operating handle 12 close to the bottom thereof to make it easily accessible. The drawer is slid into and out of the cabinet 9 along the tracks 13 and 14, by the lazy tong mechanism 15 or other well known means. However, to have access to drawer 10 at the customary height of the average person would be too difficult and therefor to overcome this perplexing matter I leave the bottom of the drawer open and preferably off all together, thus permitting the housewife 16 to reach up within this inverted boxlike drawer 10, as illustrated in FIG. 3, and manipulate the various kitchen utensils 17 by grasping the bottom part with her hand and slipping the hole at the end of the handle over the hook 18. And she may place dishes 19 within a shelf 20, etc. When sliding the drawer 10 into the cabinet compartment 9, the catch 21 of handle 12 will hook over the catch 22 in the base of cabinet 9 and secure it in closed position. This drawer 10 will automatically open the drawer by grasping handle 12 and instinctively press downwardly thereon in the direction of dotted line 23 which action releases catch 21 from catch 22 and permits drawer 10 to open.

In cases where the housewife is slightly taller than the average, one of the side panels of drawer 10 may have its lower edge removed as indicated at 24 in FIG. 5 and by the dotted line in FIG. 7.

Should it be desired to store small materials such as potatoes, onions, etc., within the cabinet and which require a drawer with closed sides and a bottom, a box 25 may be used which can be manipulated in a vertical direction by the lazy tong 26, see FIG. 6, having one end thereof attached to the upper end of the cabinet at 27 while the lower end is attached at 28 to the sides of box 25 as shown, the dotted lines 29 showing the position of box 25 when in uppermost position within the open drawer 10 while 39 indicates its final position within the cabinet 9 when drawer 10 is closed.

There are innumerable households having refrigerators not equipped with a cabinet adapted to fit into the usual vacant space over the top of the refrigerator and this invention provides means for utilizing such space by making a separate cabinet 10A, see FIG. 7, preferably near to the horizontal top size of the refrigerator so as to fit on top thereof as illustrated. As the refrigerator 33 as well as the cabinet 10A are made of ferrous material and therefor magnetically attractive, I place the permanent magnets 30 therebetween as shown, thus securing them together. The holding power of these magnets may be augmented by the rubber vacuum cup 31. As an additional securing means between the refrigerator 33 and the cabinet 10A, I provide straps 32 screwed onto the rear surfaces of both parts as illustrated.

In all the views the numerals 35, 36 and 37 denote the floor, walls and ceilings respectively. The cubic cold capacity of the refrigerator 33 is expanded by means of the valve 40, see FIGS. 3 and 8, which permits cold air to enter cabinet 9 in the direction of arrow 41 from refrigerator 33, by manipulating knob 42.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I haveevolved a refrigerator cabinet conveniently adapted to fill the usual open space above the conventional household refrigerator and the ceiling of the kitchen and to utilize this space for storing a large variety of material such as kitchen utensils, table ware, food and many other items useful to the housewife, to conveniently provide access thereto and to provide additional freezing space if so desired.

I claim;

1. In a refrigerator or the like, a cabinet attached to the top of said refrigerator, said cabinet having at least a portion of one side open; at least one drawner receivable in the opening of said cabinet; said drawer being at least partly opened at the bottom thereof; and means interconnecting said cabinet and drawer forming a slidable connection therebetween for movement of said drawer beyond one side of said refrigerator, support means attached to said drawer for movement therefrom substantially normal to the sliding movement of said drawer.

2. A cabinet, as defined in claim 1, including additional means for attaching utensils or the like.

3. A cabinet, as defined in claim 1, including stop limiting means for said drawer.

4. A cabinet, as defined in claim 1, wherein said means attached to said drawer is a second drawer or the like supported by toggle means. 

1. In a refrigerator or the like, a cabinet attached to the top of said refrigerator, said cabinet having at least a portion of one side open; at least one drawner receivable in the opening of said cabinet; said drawer being at least partly opened at the bottom thereof; and means interconnecting said cabinet and drawer forming a slidable connection therebetween for movement of said drawer beyond one side of said refrigerator, support means attached to said drawer for movement therefrom substantially normal to the sliding movement of said drawer.
 2. A cabinet, as defined in claim 1, including additional means for attaching utensils or the like.
 3. A cabinet, as defined in claim 1, including stop limiting means for said drawer.
 4. A cabinet, as defined in claim 1, wherein said means attached to said drawer is a second drawer or the like supported by toggle means. 